


Power Is Power

by tabbytabbytabby



Series: Quiet Destruction [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alpha Liam Dunbar, Beta Theo Raeken, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Death, Dark Liam Dunbar, Emotional Manipulation, First Kiss, Love Confessions, M/M, Manipulation, Murder, Not Liam or Theo, Role Reversal, Season/Series 05
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-05
Updated: 2020-10-05
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:27:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26830639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tabbytabbytabby/pseuds/tabbytabbytabby
Summary: Liam's always been willing to do and sacrifice anything on his quest for power. While Theo is a vital piece in finally get exactly what he wants, he also throws an unexpected wrench in his plans.
Relationships: Liam Dunbar/Theo Raeken
Series: Quiet Destruction [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2001940
Comments: 6
Kudos: 37
Collections: Teen Wolf Bingo





	Power Is Power

**Author's Note:**

> For the Role Reversal space for Teen Wolf Bingo, because I am on a Dark!Liam kick right now.

The leaves crunch beneath Liam’s feet as he makes his way through the preserve. He hasn’t been here in years, but the path is still familiar. He doubts he’d ever forget this place. How could he? This is where everything changed.

He makes it to the bridge and looks down into the murky water. It’s almost as if he’s ten years old again. The image is as clear in his head as it had been that night. The night he convinced his older sister Lyana to come for a walk with him. He insisted he had something to show her, and he had. It just hadn’t been what she was expecting.

He remembers the way she’d begged him for help. 

_Please. Liam. Please. Don’t do this_.

He smiles at the memory, cold and sharp. Almost as cold as her body was when they’d finally pulled her from the water. She’d been frozen, but her heart still beat inside her chest. That was all they needed. What _he_ needed. 

He’d loved his sister. At least as far as he remembers. It’s hard to tell what he felt back then. Feelings don’t matter anymore. They’d made him weak. At least that’s what the Dread Doctors have told him. And they’d been right. 

Once he shed that part of himself, the part that cared, things became so much simpler. His sister had to die so he could live. So he could have the power he needed, that he craved. And oh does he have it. He’s stronger now than he ever was before. His family had simply been necessary sacrifices for him to get here.

And yet, it’s still not enough. He still craves more. More power. The ultimate power. And it’s so close he can almost taste it. He just has to play his cards right, and soon he’ll have it. He’ll be an alpha. He’ll be the one in control, and he won’t need the Dread Doctors anymore. He’ll be in charge of his own life.

He just needs to be patient a little longer, and then he’ll have everything he’s ever wanted and more. 

He doesn’t turn at the sound of footsteps approaching. He knows exactly who it is. He heard his heartbeat miles away and has been waiting for him to approach. He’s not disappointed that he has.

“Liam?”

Liam smiles to himself before turning his head, “Hello Theo.”

“You wanted me to meet you out here,” Theo stays, shoving his hands in his pockets. It’s such an innocent gesture. So human. But Liam knows better. He’s been watching Theo. He can see the darkness lurking just beneath the surface. All that untapped potential, there for the taking. And oh Liam wants to take it. Soon he will. Soon he’ll have Theo exactly where he wants him. 

“I did,” Liam says. He pushes off the railing and walks towards him. “Were you followed?”

Theo shakes his head, “No, I don’t think so.” He frowns. “Why did we have to meet alone out here?”

“Maybe I just wanted some time alone with you,” Liam says. He trails a hand up Theo’s bare arm, reveling in his sharp intake of breath. “Is that okay?”

Theo nods and swallows audibly. “Yeah.”

“Good,” Liam says. He steps further into his space and watches as Theo’s eyes flutter. “I like you, Theo. A lot.”

“I like you too,” Theo says, smiling slightly.

“But Stiles doesn’t trust me,” Liam says. He sighs sadly. “I don’t know why. All I’m trying to do is be his friend. Be part of the pack, but I don’t think he’s going to let that happen.”

“It’s not up to him,” Theo says. “It’s up to Scott.”

Liam nods, “I don’t think Scott trusts me either. Not really. But you trust me, don’t you?”

“Of course,” Theo says.

Liam leans in and runs his nose along Theo’s neck, smiling at his sharp intake of breath. “I just want to belong here,” he whispers. “To know that someone wants me here.”

“I do,” Theo says softly. His hands come up and wrap around Liam. “I want you. Here. I mean. I want you here.”

Liam lifts his head and meets Theo’s eyes, “I think it’s more than that, don’t you?” He runs a hand up Theo’s chest to his neck. “At least I hope so. I want you, Theo. And I think you want me too.”

“I do,” Theo breathes. “I do.”

Liam smiles. He tangles a hand in Theo’s hair and pulls him down, kissing him hungrily. Theo moans into the kiss and pulls him closer. “You’ll keep me safe, won’t you?” he murmurs against his lips.

Theo nods, “Yeah, I’ll protect you, Liam. Always.”

Liam hugs him close, and turns his head away, smirking. Yes. Theo is exactly where he wants him.

* * *

It’s easy after that to keep Theo on his side. They spend most of their time together, and Liam keeps Theo hanging on with kisses and whispered words. Saying everything he wants to hear. He can tell the pack is suspicious when they see them together, but no one apart from Stiles outright questions it. And when they do, Theo tells them they’re being ridiculous.

“Liam is our friend,” Theo says, one day at a pack meeting. “I trust him. Why can’t you?”

Stiles laughs, “Can’t you see he’s using you?”

“He’s not!” Theo argues. “He’s my boyfriend, and he cares about me.”

Liam rests a hand on his shoulder and smiles sadly, “They’re never going to trust me, Theo.”

“Well they should!” Theo argues. “You haven’t done anything wrong!”

“Maybe not yet,” Stiles argues. “But he’s shady as fuck.”

“Look, just because he’s not the same as he was in the fourth grade doesn’t mean anything,” Theo argues. “You’re not the same as you were in the fourth grade.”

“He has a point,” Tara says.

“Yeah you would say that because you want to agree with your brother,” Stiles mutters.

Tara rolls her eyes, “Do you think I would let my brother date someone if I didn’t trust them?”

“Well no but…”

“No buts,” Tara says. “I think you guys just need to give Liam a chance.”

“We are,” Scott says. “I’m sorry Stiles is being an idiot. All we want is for you to be happy. Both of you.”

“And we are,” Theo says. “I am.”

“Good,” Scott says. “Now about the Dread Doctors.”

Liam excuses himself to go to the kitchen to get something to drink and smirks to himself as he pours himself a glass of water. He turns at the sound of footsteps to see Mason there. “You better be telling the truth,” Mason says. “Because if you hurt Theo…”

“I’m not going to hurt Theo,” Liam says. “Promise.”

He doesn’t say anything about the rest of them. Then again, he’s not the one that’s going to hurt them. If all goes according to plan, Theo will do that for him. And they’re getting closer and closer to that moment. 

It’s hard, of course, knowing what’s coming. He has grown quite fond of Theo over the past two months. But he can’t let that deter him. Feelings are a weakness and he can’t afford to be weak. Not when he’s so close to getting what he wants.

He just needs something to push Theo over the edge. And he knows exactly what that is. Or who.

It’s all too easy to have Tara be in the middle of danger. She likes to fight with the pack, even though she’d only been human in the beginning. She’s stubborn like Stiles in that way. And unfortunately for her that’s going to be her downfall. Because now she’s not just human. Now she’s one of the Dread Doctors experiments. Another failure. And Liam knows firsthand how they feel about their failures.

“Are you sure this is the way to go?” Tara asks, looking around the building.

“I’m sure,” Liam says, smiling to himself. “They went the other way, so we should be safe to hide out here.”

Tara nods and slumps back against the wall. She’s scared, Liam can tell that much. He supposes he can’t blame her. She’s seen what happens to the other failures. Of course she wouldn’t want that to happen to herself.

The atmosphere changes, and Liam gasps at the sudden onslaught of noise. “They’re here.”

“Where?” Tara asks, looking around. “Liam?”

The Dread Doctors are there suddenly, right in front of them. Liam bares his fangs and gets in front of Tara. At least he can say he tried to protect her if anyone asked. He’s easily swept aside and he hits the ground with a groan. 

“Run!” he shouts at Tara. “Get out of here!”

“I can’t leave you!” she cries.

“You have to,” he says. “Go!”

She turns and starts to run, but it’s too late. She barely makes it a few steps before she’s being stabbed through her chest. She stumbles forward before falling to her knees. Liam immediately smells the blood and allows himself to feel a moment of triumph, to let the grin spread across his face, and then he’s standing up and stumbling forward.

“Tara!”

He falls to his knees in front of her and takes her face in his hands. She blinks up at him. “Liam?”

“Yeah, I’m here,” he says. “I need to call Theo. Okay? So stay with me.”

He really needs her to live long enough for this work. He pulls out his phone and dials Theo’s number. Theo picks up on the second ring. 

“Liam?” Theo says. “Liam? Where are you? Where’s Tara?”

“Theo,” Liam says, his voice shaking. He allows a crack to slip through as he lets tears spring to his eyes. “Theo. They found us.”

“What?” Theo asks. “Where are you? Is Tara okay?”

“They stabbed her, Theo,” Liam says. “I tried to fight them off, but I wasn’t strong enough and they got to her. I’m so sorry.”

There’s a sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line before Theo speaks. “Can you get her to Deaton’s?”

“I think so,” Liam says. “Do you want me to meet you there?”

“Yeah,” Theo says. Liam can hear his footsteps through the phone and knows he must be running to his truck. “Yeah, I’ll meet you at Deaton’s.”

“Theo,” Liam says. “You should call Scott. She’s not looking good, and maybe he can…”

“Yeah,” Theo says. “Yeah okay.”

They hang up and Liam turns back to Tara. “We need to get you up. Can you walk?”

“I think so,” Tara says. 

With Liam’s help, she manages to stand, and together they walk outside to his car. It’s a short drive to Deaton’s. When they pull up, Theo’s truck is already parked there, along with Scott’s bike and Stiles’ jeep. Perfect. 

Theo comes running outside as Liam’s helping Tara out of the truck. He takes Tara into his arms and runs her inside, leaving Liam to follow. Scott stops him at the door. “What happened?”

“We were hiding like you told us to,” Liam says. “But they found us. I tried to stay between them and Tara but I couldn’t fight them all off and…” Liam’s voice cracks as he lowers his head. He wipes at his eyes for good measure. “I’m so sorry.”

Scott places a hand on his arm, “I know you did everything you could.”

Liam nods, “It wasn’t enough though.” His eyes drift to the back where Theo has Tara lying on the examine table as Stiles and Mason look down at her. “Is she going to make it?”

“We don’t know,” Scott says.

“She has to,” Theo says. He looks over at them with wide, panicked eyes. “Please Scott.”

Scott walks over to them and looks down at Tara. He shakes his head. “She’s not healing.”

“I don’t think she can,” Liam says. “She’s not a real werewolf like us.”

“But you can bite her,” Theo says. “If you bite her and turn her, then she can heal.”

“But it might not take,” Scott says.

“But it could!” Theo argues. “Scott, please.”

Scott shakes his head, “I’m sorry, Theo. I can’t.”

“But…”

Scott walks towards the door. He squeezes Liam’s arm on the way by. “Look after him.”

Liam nods, “I will.”

“Scott!” Theo cries. “You can’t just leave her to die!”

“I’m sorry Theo,” Scott says. He sounds like he is. But Liam knows it won’t matter. He won’t let it matter. This is the opening he needs.

He waits until he hears Scott’s bike and Stiles’ jeep drive away, before moving to Theo. He wraps his arms around Theo from behind and holds him close. “I’m sorry, Theo.”

“Why won’t he save her?” Theo whispers.

“He could,” Liam says. “But he won’t.”

Theo looks up at him with wet eyes, “Why not?”

“Because he doesn’t care enough,” Liam says. “Not about her, or you. He’s not the alpha you need, Theo. You need someone who can save her.”

“But there is no other alpha,” Theo says softly.

“Not yet,” Liam says. “But you could be that alpha.”

Theo tenses in his hold, “What are you saying?”

“I think you know,” Liam says softly. “I think you’ve always known.”

“I can’t,” Theo whispers. “I can’t, Liam.”

“Couldn’t you?” Liam asks. “If it meant saving your sister?”

“I don’t know,” Theo says. Liam can see his doubt though. Can see that it’ll only take a little push to get him there. 

“She needs you, Theo,” Liam says. “She doesn’t have much longer. And I know how hard this is.” He closes his eyes, letting a tear slip past them. “I’m sorry this is happening. This is all my fault.”

Theo turns, taking Liam’s face in his hands. He kisses him softly before pulling back. Liam opens his eyes when Theo whispers his name. “It’s not. I know you fought for her. Like you are now.” He looks over his shoulder at Tara and takes a shuddering breath. “She’s always looked out for me. Now I have to do the same for her.” He looks back at Liam. There’s pain in his eyes, but also resolve. “I have to save her.”

Liam nods, “I know you do.”

“You’ll come with me, won’t you?”

“Of course,” Liam says. “I’ll be with you the whole way.”

Theo leans down and kisses Tara’s head, “I’ll be right back. Hold on for me.”

He steps away and Liam wraps an arm around Theo’s shoulder and leads him out of the room towards the door. He looks over at Tara and smirks. He knows she won’t be making it out of here, no matter what happens tonight.

They find Scott at the school. He’s in the library, pacing the floor when they walk in. He looks up in surprise when they enter. “Liam? Theo? What are you doing here?”

“I’m doing what I have to do,” Theo says, walking towards him.

Scott frowns, “What are you talking about, Theo?”

“You wouldn’t save her,” Theo growls, baring his fangs as his eyes glow gold.

Scott sighs, his eyes sad. “Theo, there was nothing I could do.”

“There was!” Theo shouts. “You could have saved her! But you wouldn’t!”

He shoves Scott, who stumbles back, looking at Theo in surprise. “What are you doing, Theo?”

“You haven’t given me a choice here, Scott,” Theo says. “I have to save her.”

“What? What do you…?” A look of understanding crosses Scott’s face and he shakes his head. “No, Theo. This isn’t the way.”

Liam steps behind him, making sure Scott can’t get away. Scott turns to him, a look of betrayal crossing his face. “You too, Liam?”

“Whose idea do you think it was?” Liam asks.

“We trusted you,” Scott whispers. 

Liam shrugs, “I guess you shouldn’t have.”

Scott turns back to Theo, “Don’t you see, Theo? He’s using you!”

“No,” Theo says. “He’s the only one that’s on my side! He’s helping me save Tara, when you wouldn’t!”

“Theo…”

“You’re running out of time, Theo,” Liam tells him. “Tara needs you.”

Theo takes a shuddering breath and nods, “I know.”

Liam grabs Scott’s arms and holds him in place as Theo advances towards him. Scott struggles but he makes no move to lash out at Theo. Even knowing what’s coming, he won’t fight him. He won’t hurt Theo. 

“Theo,” Scott says softly, still, trying to get through to his beta. “Please. I know you don’t want to do this.”

“I have to,” Theo says, voice breaking. “I’m sorry, but I have to save Tara.”

“Now, Theo,” Liam says. “Do it.”

Theo nods, and then drives his claws into Scott’s chest. Scott roars and throws his head back. He meets Liam’s eyes and Liam smirks. “Got you,” he mouths. Scott’s eyes widen as they blaze red for a few short moments, before dimming. Liam looks up in time to see Theo’s eyes change from their normal gold to a bright red as Scott’s body goes still in his arms. 

Liam lets him fall to the side and looks at Theo’s red eyes. He looks beautiful like this, all power and strength. But it’s the power Liam wants for himself. The power he’s been dreaming of for so long. He steps up to Theo and takes his chin in his hands.

“Look at you,” he murmurs. “So beautiful and powerful. How does it feel?”

“Amazing,” Theo whispers. “Like I can do anything.”

Liam kisses him, hard and punishing. Theo groans against his lips. Liam’s plan had been easy before. Theo would kill Scott and take his power, and then Liam would kill him, taking the power for himself. But he finds himself hesitating. 

“Do you love me, Theo?” Liam asks him.

“Yes,” Theo whispers. “I love you.”

“I never thought monsters could love,” Liam muses. “But I love you. That was never part of the plan though.” He sighs and rakes his claws across Theo’s chest. “It’s a pity, that. You’ve put me in quite a dilemma.”

Theo frowns, “What do you mean?”

Liam sighs and shakes his head, “Nothing. Let’s go save Tara.”

This will at least give him time to think. He’ll let Theo save his sister and then he’ll know what to do. He takes Theo’s hand and leads him towards the door. Theo hesitates. “Wait, what are we going to do with Scott?”

Liam tilts his head, looking back at the former alpha. He hadn’t thought that far. He’d planned to take the power for himself and then either take the pack as his own or kill the ones that fought him. “You go to Tara,” he says. “I’ll handle the body.”

He goes to pull away but Theo squeezes his hand and pulls him back to face him. He leans in and kisses Liam deeply. “I’ll find you after.”

Liam nods, “I know you will.”

 _Or I’ll find you_ , he thinks. Because after all is said and done, the alpha power will be his. No matter what it takes.

He loves Theo in his own twisted way. Those feelings had been unexpected. Unplanned. But he can’t let them get in the way from what he wants. What he deserves. He’s spent too long chasing that power and he’s not just going to give it up. Not when it’s his only way out. 

He has Theo drop him off at the edge of the preserve with Scott’s body on the way to the clinic. He drags the body deep through the woods. He stops at the edge of the cliff looking out into the river and looks over. It’s not ideal, but he doesn’t exactly have a shovel or time to dig a hole by hand. He looks down at Scott’s lifeless corpse and shakes his head as he lifts him up.

“You really should have listened to Stiles, I suppose,” he muses. “Then maybe things would have turned out differently for you. Or maybe not. I am pretty determined to get what I want. No matter what it takes.”

He throws Scott’s body over the cliff and watches as it disappears into the river, sinking down until it’s no longer visible. He turns and walks away, shoving his hands in his pockets as he heads back down the path.

He frowns when he hears a familiar heartbeat nearby and footsteps running towards him. “Liam?”

“Theo?”

Theo shoots out of the trees nearby and launches himself at Liam. Liam’s so surprised that he stumbles back and the pair fall back onto the forest floor. He looks up at Theo, taking in his red rimmed eyes and obvious distress. 

“What is it?” Liam asks. “I thought you were with Tara.”

Theo shakes his head, “I was too late,” he chokes out. “She was already…she’s... She’s dead, Liam.” Theo tucks his face against Liam’s neck as he starts to sob. Liam’s arms move around him, but he barely knows what he’s doing anymore. It would be so easy to drive his claws into Theo’s back right now and end this. Theo probably wouldn’t even fight him. Not as upset and distraught as he is.

But still, Liam hesitates. Surely, this can work in his favor.

“I killed Scott for nothing,” Theo mutters. “God what have I done?”

Liam takes Theo’s face in his hands and makes him look at him, “You did what you had to do, Theo. It was the only way.”

Theo shakes his head, “I don’t want this power, Liam. I don’t want it.”

Liam nods and brushes a hand through Theo’s hair, “There is one way to get rid of it.”

Theo’s eyes widen, “By killing me?”

And yes, that had been the plan. But Theo doesn’t need to know that. Liam shakes his head. “No, I’m going to kill you, love.”

“Then how do I get rid of it?”

“By willingly giving it up,” Liam says. He’s not 100% certain it will work, but he’s heard stories of alphas transferring their power to others. It’s worth a shot at least. And if it doesn’t work then there’s always the other way. “You have to want to give it to me, Theo.”

“You want to be the alpha?” Theo asks.

Liam smiles and kisses him, slow and deep. “I want to be _your_ alpha,” he murmurs. “I want to take care of you. If you’ll let me.”

Theo bites his lip for a moment, before nodding. “Okay. How do I do it?”

“Just focus on giving the power to me,” Liam tells him. “Just think of me.”

Liam kisses him quickly before pulling back. He turns his head, baring his neck to Theo. Theo growls, and Liam catches a flash of his red eyes before he’s biting on Liam’s neck. Liam gasps, his body feeling more alive than it’s ever felt. He can feel power pulsing through him and he laughs. It’s happening. After all this time he’s finally getting everything he ever wanted. When Theo lets go, he slumps against him. Liam runs a hand through his hair and down his back.

“You did so good, Theo,” Liam soothes. “So good for me.”

Theo looks up at him and Liam smiles when he sees his eyes are now glowing blue. A sign of what he did. Something he’ll never be able to forget. And oh Liam can use that. 

“It worked,” Theo says, brushing a hand across Liam’s cheek. “You’re my alpha now.”

Liam grins, “That’s right, Theo. I am. And you,” he takes Theo’s face in his hands and makes him bare his neck. He lets his teeth graze across his skin before biting down. There’s no transfer of power now. No, Liam is keeping this for himself. Just as he’s keeping Theo. “You’re mine now, Theo. Aren’t you?”

“Yes,” Theo whispers. “I’m yours.”

Liam’s answering smile is almost feral as he pulls Theo in for a bruising kiss. “All mine.”

He knows they’ll need to leave soon. It’s only a matter of time before the pack figures out what they’ve done. But by then Liam and Theo will be far away from here. Liam dares anyone to try and stop him now he’s finally got everything he ever wanted, and maybe a little bit more.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Kudos/comments make my day 💜  
> You can find me [here on tumblr](http://tabbytabbytabby.tumblr.com/)


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